Augmented analytics refers to the use of statistical and linguistic technologies to improve data management performance. This includes everything from data analysis to data sharing and business intelligence. The concept of augmented analytics is closely linked to the idea of transforming big data into smaller, more usable, datasets. But if you’re wondering whether augmented analytics can replace data scientists and data teams altogether, that’s definitely not the case. Think of augmented analytics as playing an assistive role – this technology doesn’t replace humans; it supports us and enhances our interpretation capabilities.

More specifically, Gartner says that citizen data scientists can “bridge the gap between mainstream self-service analytics by business users and the advanced analytics techniques of data scientists”. These scientists are now able to perform sophisticated analysis that would have required more expertise; this enables them to deliver advanced analytics even if they don’t have specialized skill sets that data scientists do.

To be clear, this automation won’t just benefit data scientists and data teams. Gartner, once again defines a citizen data scientist as a person who creates complex descriptive and predictive models, but whose primary job function is outside the field of statistics and analytics. If you’re, a sales manager who’s tasked with putting together reports for board meetings, you can also skyrocket your productivity with augmented analytics tools.

Interestingly, Gartner also predicts that citizen data scientists will surpass data scientists in the amount of advanced analysis produced by 2019. According to Gartner, businesses today are increasingly being powered and impacted by analyses produced by citizen data scientists. This doesn’t just create a more data-driven environment, it also allows data scientists to shift their focus onto the more complex analysis.

But how, exactly, can you use augmented analytics tools to empower your teams? Here are a few use cases of augmented analytics that can help to boost your team’s productivity: